Kerry defeats arch-rival Dublin in Gaelic football league at Croke Park

The Gaelic football team from County Kerry, the current All-Ireland champions, secured an important, though flawed, victory in the National Football League. Jack O'Connor's charges defeated their arch-rivals, Dublin, at Croke Park by a score of 1-16 to 1-10. This was Kerry's first league victory over Dublin at this historic venue since 2017, ending a nine-year drought. The match attracted 25,027 spectators, though commentators note it will not go down as a classic in this great rivalry. Tony Brosnan scored the decisive goal in the 57th minute, giving Kerry an eight-point lead. The Kerry-Dublin rivalry is considered the greatest derby in Irish Gaelic football, dating back to the early 20th century. These counties have won a combined 81 All-Ireland titles (Kerry 38, Dublin 31), dominating the sport for decades. Matches at Croke Park, the national GAA stadium with a capacity of 82,300, hold particular historical and emotional significance for fans of both sides.Despite controlling the flow of the match and leading throughout, Kerry again showed weakness in the closing minutes. From an eight-point advantage, the team allowed Dublin to claw back five points in a few minutes, ending the game with just a three-point margin. Manager Jack O'Connor admitted this is a recurring problem. „Last weekend, halfway through the second half, we had a big lead and didn't kill the game off. That's something we need to work on.” — Jack O'Connor O'Connor partly blames these troubles on the intense club match schedule at the end of 2024, which he says left players fatigued at the start of the inter-county season. In previous rounds, Kerry had already squandered a 12-point lead against Galway and barely held off Roscommon. A positive aspect for Kerry was the return to the lineup of two key players. David Clifford, a multiple winner of the player of the year award (All-Star), and Seán O'Sullivan returned from injuries, adding depth and attacking options to the team ahead of the decisive part of the season. Crucially, the victory keeps Kerry in contention for the National Football League title, though the team must improve its game finishing. Meanwhile, in another traditional Irish sport, hurling, the County Kerry team suffered a crushing defeat. In the National Hurling League Division 2, Kerry narrowly lost 1-17 to 1-18 against Laois in dramatic circumstances. The winning point for Laois was scored in the final play of the match by substitute Cormac Byrne. Kerry finished the game with three players fewer after red cards, which significantly impacted the result. This victory keeps Laois at the top of the Division 2 table with an excellent record. In Gaelic football's Division 3, another county, Clare, defeated Laois after a spectacular comeback from a seven-point deficit in the second half. Clare manager Mark Madden praised his team's character. „It's the character. We didn't quit, we were down, we came back and won the game.” — Mark Madden In the broader league context, Kerry's victory over Dublin is an important psychological signal ahead of the upcoming championship season. It shows that the champions remain a force to be reckoned with, but also reveals clear weaknesses that could be exploited by rivals. The problem of maintaining large leads in the closing stages of matches is becoming increasingly evident and requires immediate work from manager O'Connor and his staff. However, the return of Clifford and O'Sullivan offers hope for more stable attacking play. For Dublin, the defeat is another blow in a difficult season and underscores the need to rebuild a team that dominated Irish Gaelic football in recent years.